Many people know that olive oil is good for heart health, so what exactly are the benefits? Spanish researchers found that consuming two tablespoons or about 30 grams of olive oil a day can reduce the risk of dying from heart disease by almost half. 1, heart protection Spanish researchers analyzed the data of 40,622 Spanish residents. These residents all participated in the European Prospective Survey on Cancer and Nutrition from 1992 to 1993 and were between 29 and 69 years old at the time of participation. The survey focused on the participants’ daily diet, including olive oil intake and caloric intake. By the time the survey was fully completed in 2009, 416 participants had died from cardiovascular disease, 956 from cancer, 417 from other causes and 126 from unknown causes. The researchers found that participants who consumed more than 29 grams of olive oil per day, the top quartile of olive oil intake, were 44 percent less likely to die of heart disease compared to those who did not consume olive oil; 26 percent less likely to die overall and 38 percent less likely to die from causes other than cancer and heart disease compared to other participants. Researchers also found that olive oil was not beneficial in reducing the risk of dying from cancer, however, the data suggests that olive oil may help prevent some cancers, particularly breast cancer. 2, health benefits Olive oil is rich in monounsaturated fatty acids, vitamin E and phenolic compounds, which may play a role in the prevention of chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease. In a report published by the latest issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (AJCN), researchers wrote that the results of randomized clinical trials showed that olive oil was able to reduce systemic inflammation and improve blood sugar control. To our knowledge, this is the first prospective study showing that olive oil reduces the risk of death in healthy residents of the Mediterranean coast,” the researchers wrote. Our findings provide additional evidence that one of the main components of the Mediterranean-style diet (olive oil) affects mortality, suggesting the need to retain the habit of using olive oil for this healthy diet.” This has important implications for those residents of the Mediterranean coast who are gradually discarding the Mediterranean-style diet and increasing their intake of saturated fatty acids. 3. Exceeding expectations The Mediterranean-style diet is based on fish, legumes, vegetables, fruits, nuts and olive oil, with a moderate amount of red wine and only a small amount of red meat and dairy products. Its most significant feature is the low intake of saturated fatty acids, monounsaturated fatty acids and dietary fiber intake is very high. British experts believe that the results of this Spanish study show that olive oil plays a more important role in preventing heart disease than previously expected. In this study, Spanish researchers stressed that the health effects of other components of the Mediterranean-style diet have been taken into account when calculating the effects of olive oil. The British Daily Mail recently quoted the British Society of Cardiovascular Diseases’ Dr. Charles K. Knight as saying that the results of the study were based on the effects of olive oil on health. The results are significant and confirm that olive oil is good for heart health, Dr. Knight reported recently in the Daily Mail.